The Hay Field
Over het schilderij
The Hay Field is an 1869 genre painting by the British artist Thomas Armstrong. Armstrong had studied in Paris under Ary Scheffer. Initially associated with the realist movement, this work reflects the influence of the Aesthetic Movement on his style. The three poised haymakers reflect a romanticised view of the rural ideal and may make referee to the Three Graces.
The painting was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1869 at Burlington House in Piccadilly. Today it is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, having come into its possession in a 1917 bequest.
In de woorden van het museum
Thomas Armstrong (1832-1911) undertook his early training as a painter in Paris. While studying at the studio of Ary Scheffer, he spent the evenings at the famous Académie Suisse. In 1854 he also spent time in the artists' colony at Barbizon, where he made the acquaintance of Millet. After a brief period of study in Antwerp, Armstrong returned to Paris where he began life-long friendships with George Du Maurier, Edward John Poynter and James Whistler. In 1860 he returned to London where he continued to work as a painter until 1881 when he was appointed Director of the Art Division of the Department of Science and Art, based at the South Kensington Museum. This role gave him responsibility for the organisation and supervision of art education throughout Britain.
